ABILENE, Texas – The McMurry University football team will take the wraps off of its 2018 team on Thursday evening, hosting Trinity University in a non-conference bout. Kickoff at Wilford Moore Stadium is slated for 6 p.m. (CDT).
 
The War Hawks will also have the honor of hosting the first game played among American Southwest Conference teams in 2018. Belhaven hosts Millsaps and East Texas Baptist welcomes UW-Platteville, with both contests starting at 7 p.m. (CDT). This will be McM's first game back as full NCAA Division III members after going through a four-year reclassifying process.
 
McMurry's Athletics Department is inviting community members to take part in a tailgate party prior to the game. Beginning at 3 p.m. on the campus' Quad, there will be free hot dogs and hamburgers – while they last – and the first 100 arrivals will receive a custom-designed War Hawks "Blackout" t-shirt.

Fans can listen live locally on KSLI 1280 AM, with the pre-game show beginning at 5:40 p.m. (CDT). David Bacon – "The Voice of the War Hawks" – will once again handle play-by-play, with Jason Feltz providing color commentary.  Live statistics and video/audio streaming can be found at mcmurrysports.com.
 
NOTES:

EARLY BIRDS:  The game has the distinction of being the earliest game – by calendar date – ever played in the 93-year history of McM's football program. Last season's August 31 bout at Oklahoma Panhandle State was, previously, the earliest a game had been played.
 
JUST FOR OPENERS:  McMurry football as an all-time record of 38-52-2 in season opening games. McM has lost its last two openers:  to Southwestern, 24-17, in 2016, and; to Oklahoma Panhandle State, 10-0, in 2017.
 
THE SERIES:  This is the 38th meeting between these teams. TU leads the series, 23-13-1.
 
ICE BREAKERS:  This will be the 6th time in the history of the series that these two teams have met in a season-opening game. McM won the first lidlifter between the schools in 1978 (19-0), but Trinity won the next four season-opening games in 1997 (38-7), 1998 (58-20), 2008 (48-18) and 2009 (31-26).
 
PRE-SEASON PROGNOSTICATION FOR 2018:  McMurry was picked eighth out of 10 teams in the 2018 ASC Pre-Season Poll of coaches, SIDs and media.
 
WHEN LAST THEY MET:  In the NCAA III first-round playoff game on November 19, 2011, the War Hawks defense held #11-ranked Trinity to just 44 rushing yards - and 304 yards overall - in scoring the 25-16 road win. Led by D.J. Baiza, Will Morris and Greg Pickney, McM's defensive unit turned in four interceptions, a fumble recovery and four sacks. Baiza would tally the deciding score on a 52-yard punt return for a touchdown with just 5:12 left in the game. Offensively, reserve QB Stephen Warren - playing in place of injured All-American QB Jake Mullin - was 17-for-34 for 188 yards, passing for one TD and rushing for another.
 
TU 2018 AT-A-GLANCE: Trinity enters the 2018 season opener for both teams coming off of a 6-4 overall mark in 2017, 5-3 (4th place) in the Southern Athletic Association. The Tigers return 18 starters from last year's squad: eight offense, eight defense, and two from special teams. TU senior offensive lineman Joel Holmes (6-foot, 306-pounds) heads the cast of returnees and was voted as a D3Football.com Pre-Season All-American, after grading out at 92 percent and recording 65 pancake blocks in 2017. Trinity also returns runningback Evan McDowell (573 yards/126 carries) and wide receiver Tommy Lavine (956 yard/63 receptions).  On the defensive side of the ball Kievan Boudreaux is the team's leading returner, amassing 66 total tackles in 2017 and also registering three sacks (as did Michael Inco). Robert Kuhne and Jordan Williams each tallied 44 tackles.
 
MCM 2018 AT-A-GLANCE: Coming off of a 2-8 season in 2017, McMurry's defense is anchored by sophomore linebacker Josh Smith, who had a banner freshman campaign. Smith had a team-leading 87 tackles (47 solo) on his way to the American Southwest Conference Freshman of the Year award. Defensive back Reagan Miller (38 tackles) and lineman Dez Turner (26 tackles) are also back. On offense, junior quarterback Kevin Hurley is once again at the helm in 2018. As a sophomore, Hurley completed 109-190 passes (57.4%) for 1,396 yards and 13 touchdowns. Junior receiver/kick return man Eriel Dorsey had 44 catches for 452 yards and three TDs last year, while also returning four punts for 5.5 yards per return.
 
JUST FOR OPENERS:  McMurry football as an all-time record of 38-52-2 in season opening games. McM has lost its last two openers:  to Southwestern, 24-17, in 2016, and; to Oklahoma Panhandle State, 10-0, in 2017.
 
ALL-TIME: This is the 894th football game in McMurry's history.  McM has an all-time record of 377-483-33 and in its 93rd season of football competition.